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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

IRENE

I rene stepped inside and shut the door, the sharp click echoing through the thick, tense air. She watched Jessalyn move to her desk in silence, though her frantic breathing betrayed her calm exterior. Irritation rose in Irene, sharp and fast. What the hell did she want from me? she thought. Jessalyn finally sat down behind her desk, crossing her arms with an air of forced nonchalance. But Irene noticed the slight twitch of Jessalyn’s lower lip. She looked worried.

“Sit down,” Jessalyn ordered. Irene narrowed her eyes, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth as she locked eyes with Jessalyn. She opened her mouth to speak, but Jessalyn cut her off before she could say a word.

"You’re here to listen. So, sit down. We’re running out of time." Irene sat slowly on the chair.

“I suppose this is the part where you tell me I have some great responsibility on my shoulders? This mission?—”

“Absolutely not,” Jessalyn interrupted.

“I wanted to remind you of the importance of this quest, and that it might not go as planned. In fact, there’s a real chance it could go very, very wrong,” said Jessalyn. Irene sighed, rolling her eyes. “You’re repeating yourself, old Lady.”

“Forget about vengeance,” Jessalyn said at last, her voice low but razor-sharp.

Irene’s eyes snapped open, her body tensing. A nervous chuckle slipped from her lips. Jessalyn opened her mouth to speak, but Irene raised a hand, cutting her off. “You promised me vengeance if we worked together. Your resources, your knowledge, for my ashes,” Irene spat, the word ashes biting like venom. “And after all your endless advice, I thought you understood me. But it doesn’t matter. One way or another, I’ll have my vengeance.”

“You want advice?” Jessalyn snapped, her breath hitching. “Here’s one: keep your head cold!” her eyes were blazing. “If you think this quest is only about vengeance, you’re dangerously na?ve. This is about ruthless balance. Enemies are nothing more than dead weight in your path.” Her voice cracked slightly as she pointed at Irene, her words coming out fast. “The only way you win, the only way you destroy him, is through the sapphire. Don’t focus on Dax or the emotions he stirs in you! Focus on the damn sapphire! If you don’t…” Jessalyn paused, exhaling shakily, as though the weight of her own words pressed against her chest. “It’ll lead to all our ruin. Including yours.”

“Liar,” the voices in Irene’s head whispered. Jessalyn kept speaking, but Irene’s ego refused to absorb the words. Taking vengeance from her was like denying water to a dying man. It was all she had left. Despite her fierce reputation, beneath it all, she was just a young woman, naive and foolish, consumed by rage and pride. Jessalyn’s voice echoed faintly, distant and muffled, drowned out by the rising chorus in Irene’s mind. The voices were displeased, wounded by Jessalyn’s words. Weeping. Furious. Screaming for vengeance. They needed it to survive.

It was cruel, how the mind betrayed its owner at the moments they needed it most. The very adrenaline that kept Irene alive, now blurred her vision, dulled her focus and left her fumbling in the dark when clarity was vital. Irene’s mind abandoned her while the crucial words of Jessalyn drifted through the air.

She shook her head sharply, snapping herself back into the room. Jessalyn’s voice cut through the fog just in time.

“When you have enemies, you care too much. You hate them with such intensity that it blinds you, makes you reckless. Your petty rivalry with Dax over Lorax’s favor made you weak. He outsmarted you. He sent you to Ildomir, and you didn’t see it coming. Imagine what your obsession will cost you now.”

Jessalyn leaned forward, her gaze unyielding. “Focus on the sapphire. Don’t be a fool again.”

“What are you going to do if I don’t listen—kill me?” Irene asked.

“Death is the best motivation, after all,” Jessalyn retorted.

She opened a drawer and pulled out a small folded parchment sealed with a thin thread. She extended her hand toward Irene.

“What’s written in this is the key to the sapphire. You’ll need it when you reach the heart of the mountain,” Jessalyn said. Irene’s eyes remained locked on the parchment. Slowly, she reached for it.

“Don’t open it until you’re inside the palace,” Jessalyn added, her tone low but urgent. “Make sure you get exactly what’s written. And protect it with your life.”

Irene nodded and they both stood up. Just as she was about to leave, Jessalyn’s voice cut through the air again. “Irene.”

She turned, one eyebrow raised in silent question.

“Remember—you have no enemies.”

A frown flickered across Irene’s face. Without a word, Irene stepped out of the office. The world tilted beneath her feet. This was it. Around her, time slowed. Ahead, she saw Javier, Lan, and Blade loading the final crates onto the carriages. She glanced around. Six souls, bound by a reckless quest, united by the same sin of greed. Though dressed in elegant ball costumes, they looked more like soldiers preparing for war.

As she walked toward the center of the hall, a voice rang out. "Wait! Wait!" Hezra appeared, running toward them in her high heels. Everyone turned to face her. "You look like…" Irene began, momentarily stunned by Hezra’s extravagant appearance. "A peacock!" Blade finished, a smile on his face.

Hezra twirled on the spot, her fiery red hair styled in an elaborate, towering coiffure adorned with vibrant feathers resembling those of a peacock. Her dress was embroidered with intricate patterns mimicking peacock feathers, shimmering in shades of green, gold, and blue. A feathered collar fanned out behind her neck like a regal crown, and her eyes were painted in matching hues, with tiny feathers delicately adorning her lashes.

Javier burst out laughing, reaching for the feathers. “What’s this supposed to be?”

Hezra slapped his hand away with a playful glare.

“Don’t touch!” she scolded, then turned to Zahra, her tone softening. “Zahra, come here.”

Zahra approached. Hezra took a deep breath before holding out a small box. "I gathered you all here to give you something," she said, her voice trembling slightly, revealing an unexpected sincerity that surprised Irene."

She opened the box, revealing three golden rings, intricately engraved with swirling feather-like patterns. At the center of each ring sat a shimmering gemstone, reminiscent of a peacock’s eye.

"What are these?" Lan asked.

"Gifts. Rings for you boys," Hezra said with a smile.

Lan picked up a ring and slipped it onto his finger.

Hezra nodded toward Irene’s wrist, where the guild’s mark was engraved. "Irene already has her symbol." Then, she pulled out a peacock-shaped hairpin.

"And Zahra has her hairpin," she said, handing it to her.

Zahra’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh… I thought I’d lost it!" she exclaimed.

Lan smiled faintly. "I picked it up the day we escaped.”

Hezra ran a hand over her feathered collar. "And me? Well, I have my costume!" She smiled, but a single tear escaped, which she quickly wiped away with the back of her hand. 'We’re a crew now,' she said, her voice steady, brimming with emotion. "And if we’re going to risk our lives, we might as well do it with beauty and pride. Don’t you agree?"

Blade and Javier exchanged a glance before slipping on the rings.

"Thank you, Hezra," they all said.

Zahra rested a hand on Hezra’s shoulder. Irene observed in silence, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Irene felt the shift in the air. She heard it in Hezra’s broken voice, saw it in the others serious looks. They all finally understood: once they passed through that door, only two fates awaited them, glory or death. "Well then, let’s go!" Javier said. In the corner, Jessalyn was waiting for them. One by one, they lined up toward the door, Javier taking the lead. Jessalyn gripped her cane tightly, turning toward them all, her hands shaking slightly. She nodded, her features tense.

"You can do this. Not for me. For yourselves. To take control of your future. It’s time to shift the balance of power," she said, blinking fast to push back emotion.

Javier turned toward the others and clapped his hands together. "Let’s go!" he shouted, excitement coursing through his voice. One by one, they passed through the door, hurrying down the stairs under Jessalyn’s watchful gaze.

Irene exhaled deeply and descended the steps quickly, heading toward the two carriages waiting outside. Night had already fallen, and they were ready to set off toward The Hive. Irene turned and saw Hezra complaining "We’re late!"

Javier caught up with Irene, nodding toward Blade, who lingered at the door, locked in a final word with Jessalyn. "No hugs for us?" Javier joked, nodding toward Blade, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness.

Irene half-smiled before turning toward him. "Any last advice?" he asked.

Irene scanned the group, her expression serious. She fixed Javier before stepping closer. "No matter what happens tonight, the ship must sail," she said.

Javier gave her a wink. "Understood, Captain!" They turned away from each other at the same time. Clapping his hands together, Javier called out to Blade, "Come on! Let’s move!"

He climbed up beside Lan at the front of their carriage, ready to guide the horses. Meanwhile, Irene made her way to her carriage, where Blade had just taken his seat at the reins. Irene climbed inside, where Hezra was already seated in the middle, and Zahra sat on the right.

The horses trotted forward, the carriages rumbling as they sped through the shadowy streets of the slums. Outside, the filthy alleys, thick with drunkards and misery, blurred into darkness. Inside the carriage, only Hezra’s voice filled the air, bright and cheerful against the gloom. Irene and Zahra remained silent, both looking out the window. "You’ll see the gardens, the games… The prince’s birthday is always wonderful! Oh, and the lights! They have special elixirs that colour the fire of the lanterns!" Hezra clapped her hands, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Irene and Zahra exchanged a long look but said nothing, their eyes fixed on the world outside—the stark contrast between Hezra’s bright words and the cold, grim streets weighing heavy in the air. As they crossed the bridge and entered the port district, Hezra kept chattering, oblivious to the silence around her. "There are five grand gardens in the palace wing we’re heading to! A maze, honey gardens, fountains of wine, fruit baths!" she beamed, her voice carrying a strange, childlike wonder.

The carriage began to climb, Hezra’s voice became background noise as drums echoed faintly in the distance, accompanied by flutes and a medley of other instruments. Irene peeked through the window, her thoughts distant, while Hezra continued to ramble about the marvels of the Hive, lost in a dream only she seemed to see.

The pounding of drums grew louder. When the carriage halted, Irene’s gaze lifted to towering golden walls, massive and gleaming under the moonlight. The air thrummed with distant laughter and drifting melodies, rich with the scent of flowers. Guards in golden cloaks stood. One of them approached the carriage. "Halt! Identify yourselves!" he commanded.

Hezra closed her eyes briefly, exhaled, and when she opened them again, a wide, radiant smile spread across her face. "We are the marvelous circus troupe of the esteemed Darius the Magnificent. We have had the honor of being invited to entertain His Majesty’s court and have humbly accepted the invitation," she said, fluttering her eyelashes as she handed over a rolled parchment.

The guard took the parchment, inspecting it carefully before turning back to his fellow guards. "Open the gates!" he barked.

With a heavy groan, the massive gates creaked open, revealing a long, paved pathway lined with huge gardens, illuminated by lanterns glowing with an ethereal blue flame. The carriages began to move again, rolling forward along the path.

Explosions of colour lit up the night sky, causing Irene and Zahra to twist their necks, their mouths slightly open. They leaned out of the carriage windows, watching as the sky was set ablaze with bursts of pink, blue, and yellow. Glowing insects, butterflies, bees, and other fantastical creatures, danced through the air. The trees and flowers shimmered with vibrant hues, their leaves sparkling like jewels.

A sweet fragrance of honey and jasmine filled the air. Zahra let out a soft murmur of awe, unable to contain her wonder. Hezra, noticing their reactions, smiled proudly.

"I know… I had the same reaction the first time too," she said.